This invention relates to power actuated quick attachment devices for accessories or work implements on skid steer vehicles, to eliminate hand operated latches on such attachment devices.
In the past various quick attachment devices have been developed for skid steer loaders. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,732,996 and 3,672,521 show quick attachment devices that are carried on the front of a loader arm and are used for quickly attaching and detaching various accessories, such as different types of buckets or grapples. These quick attachment devices have been utilized extensively by Melroe Company, a Business Unit of Clark Equipment Company and sold under the trade name BOBTACH.
Power operated, quick attachment devices have been also advanced in the past, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,570. Also a power operated device for backhoes is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,610.
A skid steer loader adapter for an implement mounting plate is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,252 and uses a spring biased mechanism that is biased toward a retracted or released position. An over center wedging mechanism engages hook members to overcome a spring force and the locking mechanism is forced into engagement with the implement being mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,397 shows a way of adapting the BOBTACH system to power operation by attaching a power actuator between an existing pair of hand levers which move a respective pair of latch pins or wedge members to a retracted or an extended position. The power actuator is retracted or extended between the hand levers to move them into position to retract or extend the latch pins.
The present invention simplifies the assembly by reducing the number of working parts and eliminates the hand levers by connecting a power actuator directly to each latch pin. In addition cover members are provided for all the working parts of the latch pins and actuators to prevent dirt and debris from clogging up the equipment and interfering with reliable operation of the latch pins.
This invention relates to a power operated apparatus to latch an attachment to a loader arm of a skid steer vehicle comprising: an attachment frame including at least one latch slidably attached thereto and which slidably moves to a latched position to hold an implement on the attachment frame and at least one power operated actuator having a fixed portion attached to the attachment frame and an elongated moveable portion having one end slidably engaging the fixed portion and an opposite end attached to the latch to cause the latch to move to either a latched or unlatched position depending upon the direction of movement of the moveable portion, a power source associated with the actuator causing sliding movement of the moveable portion to an extended or retracted position with respect to the fixed portion and control means to regulate power provided to the actuator.